Wild Child
by hmwoldsy
Summary: One snowy day four souls come across a human girl who is near death. The child has proving to be kind and compasionate and none of the souls can stand to see her discarded. They make her apart of their family, and their lives will never be the same again.
1. Chapter 1

Snow flakes fell gently onto the already white landscape, the trees were barren except for the evergreens. A few birds that had stayed to brave the winter could be heard chirping through the woods. And tucked away in these woods was a cozy little cottage. The gravel road was packed with snow. There were two cars that sat parked inside the driveway.

Inside the cottage in the rustic living room burned a warm fire. Gentle soft music played in the background. Harness Light and his partner Leaves Above, the owners of the quaint little cottage, were having their two good friends over. They had all been so busy lately that it had been hard to get together.

"So how has your teaching job been going?" Leaves Above asked her friend Thousand Petals.

Thousand Petals' host was a young woman in her mid thirties. She was very pretty with a sharp pointed face (though not unkind), and curly chestnut hair. Her face lit up at the mention of her calling. She was a second grade teacher. "Oh, it's been marvelous. The children are doing so well in reading. Except for this one child, Joseph, he..."

Leaves Above listened politely to Thousand Petals as she described her work, and asked her follow up questions. She could also hear bits and pieces of Harness Light, and Second Sunrise (Thousand Petal's partner) discussing Harness Light's work as a healer. She doubted that the conversation would turn to Second Sunrise's work.

Second Sunrise, who had lived several life terms as a See Weed, had given up his calling there, a storyteller, to become a Seeker. Second Sunrise and Thousand Petals had came to Earth during the beginning of the assimilation, when the souls were literally at war with the humans. So it was easy to understand why he had chosen his calling, to protect his friends and loved ones, but it was not a profession that was easy for other souls to relate too. Though they were always happy beyond words when he came back from a mission safe.

Leaves Above shuddered when she remembered when Second Sunrise came very close to not making it home at all. When Thousand Petals had called Leaves Above to tell her what happened she had been hysterical, Leaves Above could barely understand her. Second Sunrise had been received a fatal gunshot wound while trying to capture a group of rebels. Second Sunrise had many saviors that day, his Seekers who quickly got him to the hospital, the healers themselves who had Second Sunrise up and walking in a mer six day, and then the most unexpected savior of , a human child who had called out to the Seekers to help Second Sunrise before darting away into the woods. The child most be a true gem to have so much compassion when her kind where could be called brutes at best.

"Leaves Above?" Thousand Petals called.

Embarrassed, Leaves Above realized that Thousand Petals had been calling her for some time. "I'm sorry I must have drifted off. You were saying?" she asked feeling dreadful for being so rude.

"It's alright. I was just asking you how you and Harness Light's are doing with trying to have a human child to give as a host."

"Oh," Leaves Above said. Harness Light had stopped talking. His eyes meet hers for a moment. Leaves Above's host had a strong maternal instinct, and she had increasingly found herself wanting to have a child. To allow another soul to come to this world and help the soul adjust to this world would be nothing but pure joy. And Harness Light had shared her enthusiasm but...

Leaves Above smiled sadly. "It seems that my host isn't able to reproduce," she explained quietly.

Thousand Petals leaned over and squeezed her hand.

"I'm so sorry," Second Sunrise told her, "I know how much this meant to you."

Leaves Above tried to smile, appreciating his concern. Though her smile felt more like a grimace.

"Of course there's another option," Harness Light added, "We certainly could try and find a couple who's reproduced a host but would be willing to give it up in order for us to be guardians. Sort of like the humans' old system of adoption."

"So Harness Light, and I have something to hope for," Leaves Above said trying to sound cheerful hoping to restore the happy mood. She did not want to be a downer. "Oh, would you like more coffee Second Sunrise?" she asked noticing that his mug was empty.

"You don't have to trouble yourself I can get."

"It'll be no trouble," Leaves Above insisted. Second Sunrise gave her his mug. She stood up and walked into the kitchen. She was happy to have an excuse to be alone for a moment. She could fell tears threatening to fall.

She filled Second Sunrises coffee mug, and leaned against the counter for a moment feeling the warmth from the mug on her hands and staring out the window. She didn't know why it bothered her so much that she couldn't reproduce. An instinct from her host she supposed but still it made her feel worthless.

She toke a big breath and was about to return to the living room when a movement in the woods caught her eyes. She stared as a large shaggy dog sprinted out of the woods.

The dog's coat was black, and brown with mats all over her body One ear was standing straight up while the other hung down, and she had one brown eye, and one blue. Leaves Above could tell the dog was a stray. The dog ran up to the sliding door in the kitchen. The dog barked and scratched at the door franticly. Leaves Above quickly put down the coffee and called for Harness Light and her friends to come.

She opened the door and the dog came barreling in. The dog stood in the kitchen and barked frantically, it tore back out of the house into the snow. It turned around and looked at Leaves Above, she then started barking again. By this time everyone had gathered in the kitchen. The dog ran back to Leaves Above and pawed at her feet whimpering loudly.

"The dog looks familiar... but I don't think it's the dog I'm thinking off," Second Sunrise murmured thoughtfully. The dog ran back outside and repeated the whole process.

Suddenly Leaves Above gasped. "She's wants us to follow her." she said. Leaves Above quickly put on a pair of boots and grabbed her coat of the kitchen chair. She ran after the dog. As soon as the dog saw that Leaves Above was following, she toke off running into the woods.

Leaves Above followed it. She heard the others calling after her to wait but she didn't listen. Something about the dogs manner made her feel like this was urgent.

She ran for about five minutes before the dog stopped at a pile of rags. Leaves Above slowed to a walk and approached the rags. When she was closer she realized that the pile of rags was in fact a little human girl. "Harness Light!" she screamed.

Leaves Above ran to the child. The girl was laying face down in the snow. The dog was laying next to child nudging her insistently with her nose, and whimpering. Leaves Above carefully moved the child onto her back. She placed two fingers against her wrist. There was a pulse but it seemed very faint.

Tears started to stream down Leaves Above's face as she cradled the child. She was so thin. Her face was gaunt and sunken in. When she pushed up she girls sleeve to take her pulse she saw that her arm that it was nothing but skin and bone. There was not an ounce of fat on her. Her fingers, which were pathetically covered by torn gloves, were purple and swollen from frostbite. Her breathing was slow and shallow.

At that moment Harness Light and her friends came running. Thousand Petals stopped when she saw the girl her hands over her mouth her eyes wide and horrified.

"We need to get her to the hospital," though Harness Light spoke calmly his voice was not devoid of the horrors he felt for the child. "Leaves Above, Thousand Petals run back to the house, grab some blankets, and the medical kit. Second Sunrise carry her."

Second Sunrise toke the little girl from Leaves Above and she immediately ran after Thousand Petals. When she reached the house, Thousand Petals was grabbing the Afghan draped over the couch. "Grab the car keys on the kitchen counter!" Leaves Above called as she ran into bathroom. She tore up the bathroom cupboards trying to find the medical kit. Where was it?

Finally she found it unused stuffed in the back of a cupboard. Leaves Above ran out to Second Sunrise's car. Thousand Petals was already in the backseat with the child wrapped tightly in the afghan. Second Sunrise speed out of the driveway as soon as Leaves Above closed the door. He was going much faster than the speed limit, or what was entirely safe. But this was one of the rare cases that it was necessary.

Leaves Above fumbled with the medical kit. Soon she found what she was looking for. "Thousand Petals, I need to see her hands," Leaves Above said as she struggled with the cap of the container.

Thousand Petals quickly extracted the girls emaciated arms from the cocoon. Leaves Above spread the lotion like substance on the girls frostbitten fingers. The substance stimulated blood flow, and repaired the damaged cells. Soon the girls fingers were normal again. Leaves Above gave the child hand a gentle squeeze and was about to check her feet for frostbite when the girl's grip tightened. Leaves Above was shocked at how the child's grip was strong even though she was close to death. The little eyelid's fluttered. Leaves Above could here Thousand Petals gasp.

Her hand shock with emotion as the Leaves Above stroked the girl's hair and whispered in her ear. "That's right keep fighting. You are so strong. Please hold on." Tears welled up in Leaves Above's eyes as the girl's breathing became strong, and her eye lids fluttered again as she desperately tried to open them.


	2. Chapter 2

Gabriella couldn't see; she couldn't hear; she couldn't feel. A black abyss encased her gently like water, blocking out all else. She didn't find the darkness scary though, there was no pain, no crippling hunger, she was not cold... there was nothing. Her father had told her once that death was like falling asleep. But she disagreed; when you were sleeping you dreamt, and when you weren't dreaming you weren't aware of anything. But Gabriella was completely aware. Though it did disturb her a little that she had no sense of her body. But then she reminded herself that bodies were merely articles of clothing. Her body was torn, broken, and unusable and so she had discarded it.

Gabriella was impatient for the bright light to come. It was supposed to be white. Seth had once told her nothing in this world was white and what was thought of as white was really mixed with other colors like gray or blue. She was eager to see what white really was. Just like the true blackness, which was unlike anything she had ever experienced on earth, had interested her moments ago. But now she was bored and wanted to see white.

So suddenly, that it felt like a shock of electricity coursing through her, something managed to penetrate the blackness. She felt an adult's soft, fragile hand give her's a gentle squeeze. In that small hand Gabriella could feel so much warmth, kindness, and love radiate from it. But it wasn't this touch that caused Gabriella to be shocked, it was the realization that this touch was well known to her. No matter how long ago it was since she last felt it she could never forget.

_Mama, It's Mama_, Gabriella thought as a burning joy spread through her allowing her to feel her body again. She grasped her mother's hand as hard as she could. Gabriella was determined not to lose her again. But the joy was striped away when her body's weight crushed her to the ground preventing her from moving, and when the blackness did not fade away but instead turned into a suffocating mass.

But then Gabriella heard her mother's voice, "That's right keep fighting. You are so strong. Please hold on."

_I'm trying Mama_, Gabriella thought. She wanted to call it out but she could not make her mouth work. She tried desperately to open her eyes, to lift her arm, but her body was to heavy.

The nothingness was trying to consume her again. She was losing awareness of her body. But Gabriella clung on to her mother's hand even when she couldn't feel anything else. _I'll never let go_, she silently vowed to her mother._ I will find a way back to you._


	3. Chapter 3

Gabriella slowly awoke though she didn't want to. She had been having the most blissful dream. She couldn't remember anything about it but, it had made her feel more happy and safe than she ever had in the last four years. She wanted to escape back into that dream and never wake up.

But she soon realized she was not about to fall back asleep. The sun was very bright, it shone through her eyelids. Gabriella stiffened when she realized she was laying on a soft mattress. She had not slept on a mattress since she was eight and could not fathom how she ended up in one now. She struggled to remember what happened before she fell asleep.

Gabriella remembered she had been in the woods... it had been snowing and it had been so cold. She also remembered that despite the fact she had eaten nothing but some bark, and raw fish several days ago she had not been hungry. Her stomach had then given up begging Gabriella for food, it realized it wasn't going to get any. She had been so tired; she wanted to lay down in the snow which though cold was at least soft, but Jojo had forced her to keep moving. Jojo would whine, bark, and bite Gabriella's sleeve to keep her walking, and then eventually crawling. Gabriella didn't remember falling asleep though. She struggled for a long time to recollect something else.

Eventually she gasped. _Mama! _Gabriella panicked; she had let go of her mother's hand. Her right hand, the one that held her mother's hand, moved around the bed and as far as it could reach trying to find her mother. Though her hand searched Gabriella, for no particular reason, didn't open her eyes. Eventually she gave up. Tears rolled down her check when she comprehended that she must have simply dreamed about her mother.

Gabriella sat there for a minute simply crying, when she heard a group of people murmuring. Finally she opened her eyes. A bright light blinded her and she quickly closed her eyes. The light had been so bright Gabriella would have presumed that she had died if she had not seen the yellow color in the light. Slowly she opened her eyes again, allowing them to adjust. The lights were florescent which meant... she was in a building! _The Seekers must have found me!_ Gabriella thought. But that didn't make sense. If the Seekers had found her she would be dead and a parasite would be living in her body.

Gabriella turned her head to the side. She recognized the room. She knew she had never been in _this room _but a similar one. When she was four years old she had broken her arm. She had to have surgery. The room she had stayed in had looked exactly like this one. They both had guard rails on the bed, a nightstand with a lamp, crisp sheets, pale white walls, and paintings of landscapes or abstract themes. She was in a hospital.

The murmurings where coming from the other side and Gabriella looked over. A group of about seven doctors in scrubs standing just outside the doorway abruptly stopped talking when they noticed her watching them. They looked at with wide frightened eyes.

"Are you afraid of me?" Gabriella asked incredulously. She laughed once humorously as she turned her head to the other wall. Her brothers had always said centipedes where harmless, and pathetically weak (unless a Seeker) but that was an understatement if a group of parasites in adult's bodies where afraid of a starved twelve year old girl.

Gabriella throat began to burn with thirst. She considered asking the group of doctors. Would they give it to? She had never came across a soul that wasn't a seeker, her brother's had stolen all of their necessities (which Gabriella understood was a grave mistake when they were gone) but they told her parasites were extremely kind... at least to their own kind anyway. Humans on the other hand... But Gabriella couldn't imagine anyone, even a parasite, denying someone _water._

Gabriella turned back to the doctors who were simply standing there awkwardly unsure of what to do now. "Excuse me," she said in a quite voice. The doctors all jumped. "May I please have a glass of water. I'm very thirsty."

The doctors looked at her shocked for a moment as if she was an animal that suddenly started talking. "Of course," a female doctor finally said.

She was about to walk down the hall when a doctor called out to her. "You should find Healer Harness Light and tell him that she has woken up." The parasite nodded before walking out of sight down the hall.

"Why..." Gabriella started but hesitated. The parasites all turned to look at her. She toke a deep breath. "Why use the word healer instead of doctor?" she asked.

"To show the improvement in medicine," one centipede replied. His host was young, in his thirties, with golden brown hair.

Gabriella's face most have shown her confusement because the centipede elaborated. "Our medicine doesn't just temporarily relieve the symptoms like human medicine. It heals what's wrong with the body, and so the term healers becomes appropriate."

Gabriella frowned. She would have been insulted since she read about medicine before the the occupation and had always been impressed with what doctors had been able to do. But she could tell that the parasite wasn't trying to be insulting so she simply nodded. She felt awkward just just laying there so she started to moved herself up into a sitting position. She looked down at her arms she was not surprised at their skeletal appearance. Why would they? She was the one who watched them waste away till there nothing left but skin and bone. Her arms shoke as she struggled to sit up.

"Don't over exert yourself," one of the parasites said hastily. She hurried over and placed a strong hand on Gabriella's back to steady her. At the same time she pressed a petal that raised the head of the bed so Gabriella could lean back on it. "Thank you," she murmured. That little bit of exertion had drained all of Gabriella's energy. She was tired, deep down to the bone and could have went back to sleep even though she had only been up for a few minutes. But she didn't want to go back to sleep.

The parasites had already said enough to make her curious about several different things. Gabriella had always been eager to learn and absorbed information like a sponge. She decided to ask the simplest question first. "Harness Light is a bear name isn't it?" It certainly fit the description of what she knew about the place. The parasites gasped shocked.

"How do you know about the Mists Planet?" One of them asked.

"Oh, I would always ask my brothers to bring back books, any books, when they went on a raid. One of them was all about the different world's parasites occupy," Gabriella said nonchalantly.

The healers glanced at each other. "What did you call us?" One of them asked slowly.

_Opps_, Gabriella thought.

"I'm sorry," she said but as the words were coming out of her mouth she was wondering why she was apologizing for such a little thing when they had wronged her so much. "I wasn't trying to be insulting that's just what we, humans, always call you."

"We're not parasites," a female said indignantly.

Gabriella blinked, slightly shocked. How could they be denying such a concrete fact. Were they really that self-righteous. "Um... yeah you are. An organism that lives off another species, that fits you perfectly- What do you call yourselves?"

"Souls, the unseen force that guides the body." the female replied.

Gabriella guessed that make sense. It was certainly a more positive way to describe what they did.

At that moment the healer returned with the glass of water. She came with two other individuals. The first one Gabriella noticed was also a healer, most likely Harness Light. She looked away from him to examine the third. When she realized what he was she could have sworn that her heart stopped beating.


	4. Chapter 4

The man was wearing a black shirt with black pants held up by a belt around his waist that contained a gun. A Seeker.

Instinctively Gabriella jumped back. Her hip landed on the metal guardrail. She lost her balance and fell off the bed. As she fell she felt something tear away from her arm painfully. She crashed onto the floor in a heap. Gabriella wanted to stand up and run away, but her arms could barely hold her weight when she pushed herself up off the floor. And when she tried stand her legs gave out beneath her and she crashed to the floor again, her chin painfully colliding with the tile. Immediatly after a several hands where lifting her into a sitting position, murmuring that everything was alright, and stroking her hair. The only one she really noticed though was Harness Light. He had sandy blond hair, light sky blue eyes, and a handsome face. Gabriella could not place why, but something about him immediately caused her to decide that he was particularly gentle and compassionate. He lifted Gabriella into his arms and carried her over to the bed where he set her down gently and pulled the covers up over her legs.

Gabriella looked over at the Seeker; he had moved to the corner as far away from Gabriella as he could be while still being in the room, probably to make her feel safer. He watched her with concern. But none of this eased Gabriella mind. Instead it enraged her. It was his fault she was like this, that she was here! He and every other seeker, no parasite, had taken everything away from her. He was nothing more than a hypocritical monster! What was worse she had meet him before, and it was his fault that she had been separated from her father. Gabriella hated the Seeker more than she hated anyone in her entire life. It scared her how much she hated him.

Gabriella was shocked when she felt a sting on her arm. Harness Light was pressing a piece of gauze onto her arm and bandaging it. "You ripped your IV out of your arm when you fell," he explained. "I'll have to put in the other arm to ensure you stay hydrated. Are you alright?"

Gabriella ignored the question. She was still boiling with rage. "Why did you bother keeping me alive when you're just going to kill me anyway?" she snapped at him.

Harness Light looked horrified. "Nobody is going to harm you," he assured Gabriella.

"No, not my body. That's worth something to you. But my soul, well that's meaningless." she spat at him.

The healer recoiled from her. He opened and closed his mouth several times before saying shakily, "I assure you that was not my intention." He coughed a little before saying, "I'll bring you some tomato soap and crackers. I think you should try eating something, so you can gain your weight back." Harness Light would not look at her. Despite this Gabriella thought his eyes looked a little watery. A wave a guilt washed over Gabriella. For a moment she almost apologized. But she held herself back. He and every parasite stole everything from me, she told herself. She glanced around the room, it was empty. The other healers had probably gone back to work, since they had only been staring at her like she was a monkey in a cage. Only the Seeker remained. His gaze was now icy and Gabriella was sure it was because of what she said to Harness Light.

Harness Light quickly placed the IV in her other arm. Gabriella stared up at the ceiling while he did it. Chanting in her head that it was his fault she'd lost everything.

When he was finished he turned to the Seeker. "Sunrise you should go outside to make her more comfortable."

"I can't," the Seeker replied. "I have orders from my superior to stay in the room and watch her."

"Do think she is going to run away?" Harness Light asked sarcastically.

"No but my opinion doesn't matter. You'll have to talk to Hank when he stops by today."

Harness Light sighed. He headed to the door but patted the Seeker on his shoulder before leaving.

There was an awkward moment of silence before the Seeker sat down in a chair in the corner of a room. "If you had seen Harness Light work to keep you alive you wouldn't have been able to yell at him just now," the Seeker said coldly. "Not that I expect a human to show compassion but..."

Gabriella, who was exhausted had been drifting to sleep but immediately became wide awake when she heard him call her compassionless.

"How dare you," she snarled. "I saved your life, and you have the audacity to call me compassionless! After I saved your life when you had shot one of my brothers, and captured the other, as well as my father." She shrieked. The Seeker was stunned not only by what Gabriella said but how strong her voice was when before she had been so weak. "I risked my life," she continued, "To save yours! You a Seeker whose profession it is to hunt down humans. I risked being captured by the Seekers! Don't you dare accuse me of being compassionless!"

"You are the child who saved my life?" he asked.

This threw Gabriella off. He didn't recognize her?

They stared at each other for a long time. Both of them were thinking about the same moment.

Gabriella was frozen where she knelt. Her whole body shock and she was making sounds she never made before; she sounded like a wounded animal. It was so much worse than losing Mama or David. Though it shouldn't be. He at least died free... and he couldn't have felt pain. But what she was seeing was so grouisome; it was like she had been dragged into a horror movie. Gabriella wanted so badly to look away but couldn't. Even though tears blurred her vision she could still see him. The image was burned into her mind forever. It would haunt her until she died. Gabriella wanted to die then. The sooner the better. She was so tired. But she had promised Daddy; she had to go back. But she couldn't make herself stand up.

Gabriella heard noises over her own. They were deep but quite gasps of pain, and moans. Finally she turned away from him to look at the direction where the noises where coming from. She saw a man shot in bleeding in the snow. She slowly rose to her feet. There was nothing she could do for him anymore, but the man was still alive. She wondered if Daddy had put medical supplies in the knapsack he'd given her. Surely he had.

She approached the man. When Gabriella neared he heard her and turned to look at her. The sunlight shone through the sleeping trees and reflected in his eyes. They shone silver. Gabriella gasped and stopped. Seeker. She hesitated for a moment but only a moment. There was so much blood and she was sickened by all the death and violence she saw today; she didn't want to see anyone die. Not even a Seeker. She knelt down beside him in the snow. He watched her with weary eyes. He was struggling to breath. She could see the bullet hole through his shirt. She carefully lifted it up. He had been shot in the lower abdomen to the left. Gabriella quickly found the gauze and bandage wrap in the backpack. Her hands shock as she dressed his wound but she was sure that she was doing it right. Her father had taught her only days ago.

"Thank you," the seeker gasped when she was finished.

It wasn't enough though, he would need to get to hospital soon or he would die. But there nothing more she could do for him. She pulled out of the other backpack the one she had been wearing on her back a small stuffed animals, a brown shaggy dog. She had packed the backpack for the trip that she, her father, and her brothers had been planning on making that day before the seekers had come. She tucked the dog under the man's arm. A gesture of kindness more than anything. And she stayed by him stroking his hair, reasurring him that everything would be alright, and singing the songs her mother used to sing to her. But singing was hard because her voice was choked up with tears.

The Seeker, kept watching her the whole time his breathing becoming shallower and shallower. He had raven black hair, and black eyes, that looked strange with the ring of silver. His jaw was square and clean shaven and in a small way he reminded her of her step-father.

She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there. But suddenly she heard dogs barking and men's voices calling out. No one in the rebel cell had dogs except for her; Josie, and her daughter Jojo. Josie had found Gabriella a few minutes earlier, and was laying down beside the man keeping him warm. Gabriella didn't know where Jojo was, the idiot was always running off. Josie heard the noise and growled. Those men had to be seekers. Josie could recognize a parasite a mile away. Gabriella believed Josie sensed something different about them.

Gabriella looked down at the man. She was torn. If the seeker didn't receive medical attention soon he would die. But if she called the seekers over here she risked being captured, and having a parasite implanted in her head. The voices began getting quitter. One glance at the Seeker was all it toke for her to make up her mind.

"Help!" She screamed as loud as she could. The seeker jerked startled. It was obvious he never expected her to call back the other seekers.

"Help!" Gabriella screamed again. She stayed there screaming until she saw the Seekers and she was sure that they had seen her. After that she toke off running. She glanced back. Josie had backed up several feet but stood steady facing the seekers hair standing on end.

"Josie come on," Gabriella called to her dog. "Josie come!"

Josie, who had always followed Gabriella's command didn't even look back.

"Josie!" Gabriella tried on last time. But Josie refused to move. Gabriella could wait no longer, she had to run. And she left behind her companion of twelve years. Turning her thoughts to survival Gabriella tried to figure out a way to evade the seekers. She knew this forest better than them and was sure that she could hide where they couldn't find her.


	5. Chapter 5

"I... I heard someone yelling."

Gabriella jerked her head up to look where the voice came from. There standing in the doorway was Harness Light. He was carrying a tray, soup was dripping down the side of a bowl, he had obviously spilled it in his rush to investigate. Gabriella looked at him for a moment feeling as if she had woken from a dream. She realized her whole body was shaking from the exertion of holding herself up. Gabriella allowed herself to fall back onto the bed. Her eyes closed, and she could fell herself slipping into unconsciousness.

"Wild Child?" Harness Light called. Gabriella slowly opened her eyes. "What did you call me?" she murmured tiredly.

Harness Light had moved to the side of her bed. He was balancing the tray on his left arm while his right was setting up a foldout table hanging off the side of the bed. He placed the tray on the table once it was set up.

"Wild Child," he said, "It was... the name I came up for you while you were unconscious. Souls call unassimilated humans wild humans. So Wild Child seemed fitting. I hope it doesn't offend you. I didn't mean it to be." He sat down on the edge of his bed.

"No, I like it," Gabriella assured him. She studied his face carefully, he didn't look the least bit angry at her even after what she said. Guilt flooded her again.

"I know you are very tired. But I really believe you should eat something before you go back to sleep."

It seemed to take an extraordinary long time for Gabriella to comprehend what he was saying. She tried to blink back her weariness. She reached out to pick up the spoon and her hand shook, spilling tomato soup everywhere. A tear fell down Gabriella's check. What was wrong with her?

Harness Light reached out and toke the spoon from her. "Here let me help you,"

"No, I'll do it. You have other patients to attend to," the Seeker said.

Harness Light hesitated watching Gabriella closely to see how she felt about this.

"That's fine," Gabriella agreed.

Harness Light nodded. He gently brushed the tear away from Gabriella's face before smiling kindly. "Don't worry soon you will be feeling like normal."

The building guilt burst through. "I'm sorry, for what I said earlier!"

"Already forgiven," Harness Light assured her. He hesitated in the doorway. "What is your name?"

"Gabriella, Gabie for short," she slurred.

Harness Light nodded. "Eat, and then go to sleep."

Gabriella and the Seeker did not speak to each other, though there was a noticeable change in the atmosphere as if the natural hostility between seeker and human lowered... even if just a little.

Gabriella found herself losing the battle to stay awake. It toke her longer and longer to open her eyes each time she blinked. Finally the Seeker placed the bowl down. "Sleep," he said gently.

Gabriella already was.


	6. Chapter 6

In the cozy little cottage Leaves Above was was sitting on her couch. Her legs were tucked up under her, and she had a quilt draped over her shoulders. She flipped restlessly through the TV channels barely noticing what was on. She was distracted by a small whine. Laying next to the front door was the dog that had lead Leaves Above to the child. The dog had only moved from her spot to eat, and go outside. The dog was waiting for her master; even when she went outside she was looking. The dog always returned to the spot were the girl had been laying. Leaves Above wondered how long the dog would keep her vigil. She wondered how long it would take to realized that her master was not coming home?

This thought made Leaves Above pause. She looked over at the dog. Was the girl really going to be disposed of? Second Sunrise had not had an answer for her when she asked him. "Nothing has been decided," he replied simply. But she knew from Harness Light that the child had woken up, though she was never awake when Leaves Above visited.

Leaves Above tossed the remote down onto the table. She wanted to know what was going to happen to the girl, and if Second Sunrise couldn't tell her she would go to the primary source. She put on several more layers of clothing before going out into her car.

After about a twenty minute drive Leaves Above reached her destination. She looked up at the building curiously; she had never been to the Seekers headquarters before. It looked like just like any other building except for the sleek cars with sirens on the top. Her host memory supplied the word 'police car' but it was obsolete. There were no laws to be enforced, though the Seekers, like the police, were considered protectors of civilization and peace.

Leaves Above walked through the front door into a warm brightly lit lobby. Sparsely spaced out throughout the lobby were stuffed couches and chairs and soft calm music gently filled the room. Near the door was the reception desk. Leaves Above hesitated it had just occurred to her that the Seeker she wanted to see may be busy, or not even in the building at all. She should have called ahead and arranged a meeting.

But the secretary at the desk gave Leaves Above a welcoming smile. The soul was older, in her sixties, with white hair, and reminded Leaves Above of a grandmother.

"I was hoping to speak with Hank," Leaves Above told the secretary, "If he isn't busy, of course."

"Hold on one moment, Dear. I'll call him and ask," the secretary replied cheerfully. She spoke on the phone for a minute before hanging up.

"Hank would be happy to speak with you," she assured Leaves Above, "His office is just down the left corridor, third door to the right."

"Thank you."

"Your welcome, Dear."

Leaves Above followed the woman's direction and knocked on the door. "Come in," a low booming voice called.

Leaves Above entered a small cluttered office. In the middle was a desk with a computer and papers scattered all over it. On one wall was a billboard covered in maps, next to it were two large filling cabinets. The seeker, Hank, stood up and offered his hand to Leaves Above. As she shook his hand she toke in his appearence. His host was in his early forties, he had a strong prominent jaw, and his hair was starting to turn silver.

"Thank you for meeting me, though I'm sorry for calling so unexpectedly. My name is Leaves Above."

"You are Second Sunrise's good friend then? Please have a seat. How can I help?" Hank smiled kindly at her as they both sat down.

"I was wondering what was going to happen to the human girl, Gabriella. I know from Second Sunrise that you are in charge of her case."

"Ah yes, her. It's been decided that it would be the best if she was disposed of... I was just going to call Second Sunrise and inform him actually,"

The way that Hank said this shocked her. He was so nonchalant. It shouldn't have shocked her. Harness Light had returned plenty of times from work and told her of a host that had been born with incurable genetic disorder that had to be destroyed; and for a moment they both would feel sad about what a waste it had been. But this time - for reasons Leaves Above could not fathom - this manner seemed cruel.

Without thinking she whispered., "You're going to kill her?"

Leaves Above's question startled Hank, but he quickly recovered. "She is unfit for a host," he explained gently, "It would take months for her body to recover. It would be wrong to have any soul endure that, and just as wrong to let the child recover knowing as soon as she does she will be used as a host. And any soul would be crushed by memory's of the girls suffering. It is better to have the child put out of her misery quickly. It would be done in her sleep, without her knowing, and with no pain."

These words should have comforted Leaves Above but only made her think of one of her host's memory's when her dog had to be put to sleep. The host's father had explained it in a similar way.

"You speak of her as if she was an animal or worse a broken car. If it was a soul every measure would be taken to heal her."

Hank did not look insulted as Leaves Above half expected him to. He simply looked at her with sympathy. "No one can deny that the girl is an intelligent being. And a quite remarkable one at that. I have never seen anyone so strong willed. And your right saying that with a soul there would be no question if it was right to heal them no matter how hard or long that process would be. But a soul has reasons to live; there is nothing for that child. She has no family, no where to go, she is living in a world where her race is near extinction."

Leaves Above shock her head. She remembered the child's grip on her hand. She couldn't stand by and watch her die anymore than she could watch Harness Light die. There had to be another way. An idea struck her.

"What if I and my partner take her in and act as her guardians." she blurted out.

Hank's jaw dropped.

"We could give her a home. She could go to school make friends. She has already proven that's able to interact with souls peacefully. She risked her life to save Second Sunrise; isn't that proof enough that she is benevolent."

"Leaves Above..." She could tell from the tone of his voice that he was going to say no.

"There's no law that prohibits it," she added quickly.

This made Hank pause. "Have you talked to your partner about this?" he finally asked.

Leaves Above side-stepped the question, "He doesn't want her to die anymore than I do."

Hank ran his hand through his hair. "I'll talk to the girl. If it doesn't seem like she's a security threat than I suppose you have every right to... to adopt her."

A huge smile spread across Leaves Above's face, "Thank you," She said. "Thank you."


	7. Chapter 7

Gabriella dreamed of a light blue house in the Georgia countryside with paint chipping off, and a wrap around porch with a creaky screen door. She dreamed of the creek and the train bridge. She dreamed that she and her brothers were digging in the cool early morning for worms to give to the bait shop in town, and in exchange receive a few pieces of candy. If Gabie had any say in the matter this would be her heaven.

She became aware of a warm, soft hand grasping hers. She grasped the hand as tightly as she could and jolted awake. She sat straight up in bed and looked around with blurry eyes. She saw who was holding her hand. It was a strange woman. The woman was clearly startled by Gabriella sudden movement. She had a heart shaped face, and golden brown hair that was a cascade of waves down her back. Her hazel eyes, with a hint of silver flashing from the lights reflection looked up at Gabie.

Gabriella collapsed back onto the bed. Tears began to pour down her face. How stupid must I be, she thought, to be fooled twice into thinking my mother is alive. I know she's dead I saw the proof myself.

. . .

They had been living in the new house for three months now. Gabiei hated this house. She hated living so close to others. The Suburbs were almost as bad as the city. In her opinion their yard was hardly a yard at all. She missed the cover of the trees, she hated being able to see all of the houses surrounding them. She missed the creek, and the old house's creeky door.

And now her mother was dragging her and her brothers away from their favorite show to greet the new neighbors. They didn't even have any kids! So why should she care who they were. She was missing the new episode of Spongebob for goodness sake.

The couple were middle aged with their hair starting to turn silver. Her brothers and her stood there politely as their mother introduced them and answered all the same dumb questions, what grade they were in, if they liked school and so on. Eventually Gabie's mother and Mrs. Peterson, the new neighbor, started having a in-depth conversation. Gabie could see her brothers looking over their shoulders back at the house probably imaging all the hysterical randomness they were missing. Sighing impatiently Gabie examined the woman before her. There was nothing particularly interesting about the woman. But then the sun reflected off her eyes just right and Gabie saw a flash a silver.

"Do you wear contacts?" Gabie blurted out, as her mother was speaking.

Gabie's mom looked down at her surprised, "Where on earth did that come from."

"Her eyes look funny," Gabie explained.

"Manners Gabriella Anne!" her mother said sharply.

"No, no it's fine," Mrs. Peterson said. "Both my husband and I wear contacts. We're both blind as bats unfortunately."

Gabie nodded understandingly. "My step dad can't see very well either but he only wears his glasses when reading, and won't get contacts."

Mrs. Peterson smiled kindly at Gabie.

"Kids," Gabie's mother said, "If you want you can go back to the house and watch TV."

As Gabie walked back home she thought nothing more about Mrs. Peterson's eyes since Seth had once told her contacts could make it look like you had purple eyes. Silver didn't seem like that strange of a choice.

. . .

A small warm hand gently stroked Gabriella's hair. "Sweetheart why are you crying? Is it something I did? Do you want me to leave?" The soul asked softly.

Gabriella looked into the souls soft hazel eyes and felt the words slip from her mouth on their own will. "I thought you were my mother." Admitting it, only made it more painful and Gabriella began sobbing.

The soul's eyes widened horrified. She scouted onto the bed and held Gabriella in her arms as Gabriella cried. She did it as if it was the most natural thing, and it felt natural to Gabriella too. She let herself be comforted, despite her knowledge that this was a parasite and she was as much to blame for the loss of her mother than anyone else.

After awhile when Gabriella had stopped crying she pulled away from the parasite and wiped her eyes. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Leaves Above, Harnesses Light's partner. I was the one that found you in the woods." Leaves Above shuddered from the memory.

"Oh, yes Harnesses Light has told me about you. Your the one looking after my dog."

"Yes I am," Leaves Above said with a smile. "She misses you very much. I um... came here today to make sure you are alright. And to ask if, once you got better, you would want to live with me and Harnesses Light."

Gabriella stared at her blankly. "I don't understand," she said finally.

"I'm asking if once you left the hospital if you would like to come live with Harnesses Light and me. You'd play outside, go to school, make friends, watch TV. You'd live a normal life." Leaves Above explained hesitantly.

The words a normal life resonated with Gabriella. It brought up distance far off memories that seemed like dreams.

"But that's not how it works." Gabriella stated. "Parasites don't let humans live, they put another parasite inside them, or kill them."

"Well I talked to the seekers and there's no law that says you can't live with us."

"But why would you want me to?" Gabriella asked confused.

"I don't... I don't know. I just know it would be wrong to ki- to dispose of you."

"Oh I get it!" Gabriella exclaimed. "I'm like a little piglet, the runt of the litter."

"What are you talking about?" Leaves Above asked.

"Like in Charlotte's web. Wilbur, is going to get killed by the farmer because he is the runt of the litter. But it upsets the farmer's daughter even though she's watched lots of other pigs grow up and then get turned into bacon and she knows the same thing is going to happen to all of Wilbur's siblings. But she can't stand to see Wilbur get killed cause he's just a baby and still really cute. So the farmer shakes his head at his silly daughter and lets her raise the pig so she doesn't cry. I'm the baby pig, your the farmer's daughter, and the Seekers are like the farmer."

"Oh," Leaves Above said. Not quite sure how to respond. "So would you like to live with us?"

Gabriella stared down at her hands and thought about it for a long time.

"Yes," she said solemnly, "I would."


End file.
